butternut squash soup with caramelized onions

I had to check and double check that I hadn’t posted this recipe before. It was one of my favorite soups from last winter, and perfect for a chilly weekend when we needed something light and warm after all of our Thanksgiving feast-ivities.

Based on Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup recipe, the final product is creamy with a little texture in it, a sweet and savory tug-of-war match of round flavors on your tastebuds. And if you’re like me, you’ll be very liberal with your black pepper grinder for just a bit of bite.

Shall we begin? Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

For 2-4 people, peel and chop one butternut squash and one apple in same-size cubes.  Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, whatever is fresh and tastes good to you. Your cuts don’t have to be perfect, but keep them about the same size and shape. My advice to you is use a really sharp knife because all kinds of squash can be tricky to chop. And make sure you get all the core and seeds from the apple! Mix them with olive oil, salt, and pepper until the pieces are well coated. Then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for about 20-25 minutes, turning once in the middle. This is standard practice for roasting veggies, and in my opinion, roasting really brings out the optimal flavor.

While your stars of the show roast, heat up a pot that’s wide on the bottom but still tall enough to hold your soup. Peel and thinly slice an onion (mince for less texture) and sauté in about a tablespoon of olive oil or butter on medium-high heat until glossy. Make sure to feed the onions a pinch of salt to help release their natural sugars. Turn down your heat to medium or medium low (watch it carefully) and cook them low and slow until start to brown. I think following Rachael Ray’s method of adding sugar first would work nicely, too.

 

I, however, bypassed the sugar for a drizzle of pure maple syrup. YOM! Stir about a tablespoon in with your already softened onions and let them keep cooking. It’s almost time for the soup to come together.

 

Put your newly roasted goodies in a food processor or blender and pour in enough chicken or veggie broth to almost cover them. They’re about to become something delicious. Give your mix a spin until it’s finely pureed. Pour it into the pot with the onions and give it a stir. At this point, add some broth or water to get the soup to your perfect consistency.

Now’s time to spice it up. Add about a tablespoon of curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. We love lots of black pepper in just about everything. In my version of heaven, black pepper and chocolate will go together perfectly. If you’re iffy about curry powder, don’t be. I, too, once thought curry powder was sketchy, but bought this little jar for this very recipe and didn’t regret it one bit!

At this point your soup is almost finished! Since your veggies were cooked in the oven, you just need to make sure it’s heated through and stays your preferred consistency. Something completely optional, however:

Just a little drink of cream. I don’t even keep it in the house normally, but I think I’m turning over a new leaf. A new leaf that could be very dangerous. It’s not even absolutely necessary with the starchy goodness of pureed butternut squash, sweet apple and onions, and savory curry. But a little drizzle here and there never hurt anyone, really.

Soup’s on!

cornmeal crusted ratatouille tart

 

original recipe by Ellie Krieger found here

This recipe started out with my last Farmers’ Market trip of the season.

The second I saw the eggplant, I thought back to the time I made ratatouille (after watching the movie). We really liked it! So I began googling different ratatouille recipes and was set on Ellie Krieger’s tart from the moment I laid eyes on it!

Even though I didn’t have a tart pan, I improvised and used my springform pan. Which reminds me: I need to make cheesecake.

The recipe is really pretty simple to make!

First you mix together your crust ingredients: cornmeal, pastry flour, salt, water, butter, and oil, according to the recipe’s directions. I improvised making my crust, too. Since I don’t have a huge food processor and didn’t want to mess with batches, I made the crust old-fashioned by hand kneading it with my pie dough blender.

Then, press it into the pan, making sure it’s pretty even so it will cook evenly.

Blind bake it in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes using aluminum foil and hopefully something a little more substantial than orzo pasta, but it was all I had on hand at the time. Then remove the foil and bake it for another five minutes.

While the crust is baking, thinly slice and prep your veggies for roasting, combining them with olive oil and salt and pepper until coated. You can use this method to roast all kinds of veggies. My favorites are mushrooms and sweet potatoes, but not in this recipe with these ingredients. Ew.

Increase the oven to 400 degrees once your crust is ready and removed from the oven. Set it aside and put your veggies in to roast for about 15 minutes. Watch them so they don’t burn, but you shouldn’t have any problems. While this is happening, sauté your shallots (or use onions if you don’t have shallots) and ready your basil and cheeses. We’re about to start layering. Take the veggies out of the oven, reduce back down to 350 degrees, and let them cool so you can handle them later.

When you’re ready to start layering, remember to make each layer as flat and evenly distributed as possible so as much surface area is covered as possible. You want to get a little of everything in every bite!

The order will look like this: eggplant, then 1/3 of your mozzarella cheese and an even sprinkle of basil on top of the eggplant; zucchini and shallot layer, then another 1/3 of your mozzarella cheese and more basil on top of them; then tomatoes and the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese at the very top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The beauty of this dish, is that you can potentially have your kitchen clean by the time it comes out of the oven. Or, you know, you can facebook stalk, play solitaire, take a power nap, or something equally productive during that time. It’s up to you, my friend.

     

Serve up a slice and enjoy another wonderful meal you can be proud of! YUM! Thanks, Ellie!

farmers market beauties

Only one week left for the Cherry Street Farmers Market!

Posted from Blogium for iPhone

Sweet Onion and Mixed Vegetable Stir-fry

Tonight's original plan was cereal for dinner. But as I was driving home, I remembered some vegetables I had in the fridge that were almost past their window of peak freshness, and I decided to seize the day. You can make this really with any vegetables you have, and even add some meat, but I absolutely loved this combination of my classic favs. Let me know what combination works for you!

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
3-4 stalks diced celery (for crunch!)
1 carton of  mushrooms, sliced or whole
1 bunch spinach, stems removed
1 T rice wine vinegar (a splash or two)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame dressing
2 T honey

Directions

Heat up a wok or big skillet on medium to medium high heat as you chop your vegetables. Add a drizzle of oil to the bottom of the pan when you're almost finished chopping. The pan should be nice and hot.

Add the onions, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and stir to coat in the oil. I thinly sliced my onions instead of diced them because I wanted their caramelized sweetness to be a major star in this dish. When the onions are glossy and translucent, add the minced garlic and stir.

Stir in the vegetables, except for the spinach, adding a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. If the skillet looks dry, splash with a little rice wine vinegar. You can also use chicken stock, dry white wine, or anything that will keep it moist and give it flavor. Just remember: less is more. You want to give your veggies a little drink, not drown them. Add the spinach and coat it with the pan liquids so it will begin to wilt.

Let it cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the sauce in a small bowl so you can get the taste just right. I started with equal parts soy sauce and sesame dressing and drizzled in the honey to taste. I ended up adding a little more sesame dressing because I wanted my stir fry to be more savory and I knew my onions would release their natural sugars. But if you want it to be sweeter, honey is your main man!

Once you've perfected the sauce, add it in increments. Once again, less is more. You want there to be just enough extra liquid to drizzle over your rice, but if it starts to look like soup, you've added too much. Stir it around until the vegetables absorb the sauce a little, taste test to see if you need to adjust your seasonings, and serve with brown rice, sesame noodles, Ramen, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Other ideas: try it with bell peppers, snap peas, or pineapple. Sprinkle some crunchy Asian noodles on top for texture. Add some red pepper flakes for a little heat. Add cornstarch or flour to your sauce if you want it to be thick.

Freestyle Chicken Soup

This recipe varies every time, but here is the original post I wrote about it. I was so excited because it was my first "freestyle" recipe!

I started with organic chicken stock -- the biggest plastic carton they have. My pot was filled about halfway. Trimmed, browned and shredded a package of boneless/skinless chicken thighs, chopped carrots, celery, a whole onion, and added a drained can of stewed tomatoes. Oh, and you know those little plastic cartons of locally grown herbs? I chopped up a carton of basil (removed stems) and put the ENTIRE carton in my soup -- probably about a cup and a half! I boiled this mix and added a little cilantro powder, a bit more garlic powder, and sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. That simmered for about twenty minutes and then I brought it up to a boil again and added half a bag of egg noodles for five minutes before I brought it back down to a simmer and served a few minutes later.

Giada's Potatoes and Onions

Ingredients

• 2 pounds new potatoes (white, red, or Yukon gold), scrubbed and halved
• 1 pound cippolini onions, peeled
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the potatoes and onions are golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately or cool and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, reheating the next day in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Refrigerator Pasta

I call this Refrigerator Pasta because it's a great way to revitalize leftovers and veggies that will otherwise go bad. The combinations are pretty much endless!

• Pasta - leftover, uncooked or cooked
  
• Diced Mushrooms (leftover cooked meat would also work well)
  
• Sprinkle of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 finely chopped shallot or a bit of leftover onion
  
• Dry white wine or chicken stock
• Leftover salad greens (I used the spinach and arugula I didn't use in last night's salad)
  
• Pecorino or parmesan cheese
  

If pasta is uncooked, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt once the water reaches a boil and cook according to package directions. When finished, drain and return to pot.

In a separate skillet, heat some oil and cook the shallots until fragrant and transparent. Add the mushrooms, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until they release their juices. If your salad greens are undressed and raw, add them at this time. (I used arugula and spinach.) Remember that greens will wilt when cooked, so be very liberal with them!

Pour about 1/2 cup of white wine or chicken stock evenly over the mixture and stir until visibly reduced. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes and stir until heated through.

Combine mixture with pasta and stir. I served this with pecorino cheese because it complements the peppery flavor of arugula. JT added red pepper flakes to give his a little spice.

Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup

It's a snowy day and shows no signs of letting up. With a busy week, I didn't prepare, and while I would get outside for ingredients, I decided to make do with my pantry and last night's leftovers. This recipe is loosely based on this one from, you guessed it, Giada DiLaurentiis.

Creamy Potato and Spinach Soup

Ingredients: one shallot, 2 celery ribs, 2 potatoes, 4 cups of chicken broth, about 2 or 2.5 cups of spinach (or whatever greens you like), and 1/4th cup of cream (or 3 Laughing Cow cheese wedges).

Oil the bottom of a fairly deep saucepan and cook 1 finely chopped shallot and 2 finely chopped ribs of celery. Season with garlic salt and black pepper.

Cook shallot and celery until transparent and fragrant. Add 2 peeled and diced potatoes to the pot (I used Yukon Gold) and 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

I prepared this whole wheat cornbread in the meantime.

Add about 2 cups of finely chopped spinach leaves and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Place potatoes and vegetables in the blender and add stock, just until veggies are covered. I separated these using a strainer and a bowl in my sink because I just realized I don't have a slotted spoon.

Giada's recipe called for 1/4th cup of cream, which I didn't have on hand, so I combined three Laughing Cow creamy cheese wedges with about 1/2 tablespoon of milk, mashed the cheese, and added it to the blender. Puree until smooth.


Return puree to the pot with the remaining stock and stir until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I melted a little parmesan cheese into my pot at this time.

We ate this soup up, served with warm honey cornbread. I am going to try variations on this soup, possibly adding half of a minced yellow onion to the pot at the beginning and some carrots.